


The Birthday Project

by TeamFreeWill12



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Birthday, Growing Up, Kids, M/M, Presents, Something I'm doing for my own birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-19
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 14:05:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1985745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamFreeWill12/pseuds/TeamFreeWill12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This takes place over four birthdays. It shows the progression of life and love and all that sort of nonsense.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dean's 9th Birthday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TeamFreeWill12](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamFreeWill12/gifts), [Yes I'm gifting it to myself.](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Yes+I%27m+gifting+it+to+myself.).



> It started out not as a DeanCas/Destiel fic, but just as new characters. So I'm plagiarizing my own work and turning it into a fanfiction, because I would like a bigger audience for the stories in my heart.
> 
> (I think I just made myself vomit a little.)
> 
> My birthday is this week, so I decided to write a little something for my blog.  
> This little story takes place over the span of four birthdays. There are only four chapters. 
> 
> (Also, I've taken some liberties with birthdates.)

“Hey, where is everybody?”

The backyard, which was gaily decorated in green and black, was empty. The balloons were bobbing, the streamers blowing sadly in the wind. It didn’t look like the birthday party Cas had been expecting to find. There should have been a bunch of nine year olds running around screaming, but the only one there was the birthday boy, who was lying facedown on the big trampoline, his face hidden in his arms.

There was no answer forthcoming, so Cas put down the present he’d bought Dean on the picnic table (the new _Snatchers_ video game Dean had been squawking about for a month. Cas had saved up all of his allowance and even took some money out of his savings to buy it, so his friend had better appreciate it) and headed for the trampoline.

Pressing his palms down on the bouncy surface, he hoped to shake a reply out of his silent pal. “Hey, didn’t you hear me? Where is everybody?”

“Go away,” is all he heard, the words still muffled by Dean’s arms, so Cas decided not to pay any attention to them and instead climbed up on the trampoline.

“Dean, what’s wrong?” When he still didn’t get an answer, he nudged his friend’s shoulder. “ _Dean_.”

The boy flipped over violently, glaring at his friend, as if daring him to say something about his red eyes. “No one showed up, ok?”

“What? Why?” His best friend was the most awesome guy he’d ever met. Why wouldn’t anyone show up at his party?

“Gordon Walker’s having a party today, so they all went over there.” The sullen reply was punctuated by Dean sticking out his lower lip in a pout, which normally Cas would have laughed at, but he knew that his friend’s feelings were hurt.

“So what?”

Dean raised his head and glared angrily, ready to fight. “What do you mean ‘so what’?”

Cas shrugged. “We don’t need them to have fun. If those jerks need to go to that pea-brain Gordon’s party, let ‘em.” The lip was still poking out, but Dean was listening. “We can get my geeky brother Michael to set up the big screen out here so we can play video games, like we did that one time, and maybe we can get your mom to let us camp out here on the trampoline, because Anna said there’s supposed to be a meteor shower tonight. Wouldn’t that be cool?”

Cas held his breath, hoping that this would make Dean feel better. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for his friend, and it made him feel bad when Dean was hurting.

Dean nodded, sniffling. “Yeah.”

“And you know what else?”

“What?”

Cas leaned closer and whispered confidentially. “We can have the cake and the pie and the pizza all to ourselves.”

Lo, and behold, that brought a smile. Dean did love birthday cake. And pie. And pizza.

“Thanks, Cas.”

“For what?”

“For coming to my party.”

Cas shrugged. “You’re my best friend. I’ll always come to your birthday party.”

With one more smile, Dean turned onto his back and looked up at the sky, Cas following suit. 


	2. Dean's 13th Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas doesn't understand the finer points of Truth or Dare.

“Dean, I don’t understand the point of this game.”  


“Shut up, Cas.”

“What? I was just--”

“Dude, shut up.”

It was Dean’s 13th birthday. The two boys were in the laundry room in the basement of Dean’s house with the lights out. The girl Dean was crushing on, Lisa, had the brilliant idea of playing Truth or Dare and one of the other girls, Becky, dared Dean to take Cas into the laundry closet for “Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

Dean immediately turned red and balked at the dare. Poor, clueless Cas was mystified, had no idea why they were being sent off together to be alone in the dark. He had no idea why Dean had a problem with it; they spent a lot of time together in the dark watching movies, playing video games. They even still had sleepovers.

But everyone had insisted that they abide by the rules of the game. Lisa and Becky had escorted the two in and waited until they were seated to click off the light and shut the door, big smiles on their faces.

Cas waited a minute before speaking again.

“Hey, Dean?” His voice was hesitant. He didn’t want to make his friend mad--er, any more than he already was.

“Yeah?” came the soft response.

“Are you mad at me?”

  
“No.”

“Are you mad in general?”

“No.”

  
Cas paused, unsure of where to go from there. Dean sure _sounded_ mad.

“Ok. Then…” he floundered for a moment, then just stayed quiet.

Apparently that was the invitation Dean needed to start talking. “I’m not mad, exactly. Well, maybe I’m mad at Lisa and Becky, but I’m not mad at you, man. I’m embarrassed.”

_Oh._

“You’re embarrassed to be in here with me? In the dark?” Suddenly it clicked. Dean was embarrassed because his friends thought...well, they were being mean. They didn’t seem like very good friends, in Cas’ opinion. He swallowed hard, tried to keep himself from crying. Just because he wasn’t into girls like Dean was, just because he...Well, Dean should know better, should trust that Cas wouldn’t do anything to make him feel uncomfortable. They were best friends. That was the most important thing.

“No, man, that’s not it.”

Cas bit down on his lip to keep silent.

“I’m not embarrassed to be in here with you. You’re my best friend. I’m just embarrassed that they called me out in front of everybody.”

 _That doesn’t even make sense._ “What do you mean ‘called you out?’ I am so confused right now.”

“Cas, they apparently know things about me that you don’t even know.”

Cas sighed. “Dean, I don’t--”

He didn’t get a chance to finish his statement. Dean slid across the floor to sit next to him, groping in the dark for his hand.

In the next second he found himself being kissed. It was very innocent, very sweet, just a lightly firm touch of lips, one of Dean’s hands on his face to guide him. It was very perfect.

“Does that help explain anything?” Dean whispered, his voice trembling.

Cas could still feel Dean’s breath on his face, could feel how tense Dean’s hand was on his face, waiting for his answer.

“How much time do you think we have left? I might need you to explain it again.”

Dean huffed a quiet laugh. “Just enough, I think. Just enough.”


	3. Dean's 18th Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's 18th birthday doesn't go as Cas plans.

“Dean! Wait! What’s going on?”

Cas had walked into his boyfriend’s house to hear Dean’s dad laying into him and Dean yelling back, but he had no idea what the fight was about this time. Dean ran up the stairs and slammed the door closed, but Cas followed anyway, closing the door softly behind him.

“Dean! What’s wrong this time, what happened?”

When Cas didn’t get an answer, he moved towards Dean and turned him around slowly to see tears streaming down his face.

“Oh, babe.” Cas pulled Dean into his embrace, holding him tightly while Dean hid his face in Cas’ neck.

Heart breaking for the man in his arms, Cas stroked his boyfriend’s hair softly while sobs wracked his body.

This wasn’t the first time this had happened. Ever since Dean’s mom had died, Dean and his father had been at odds. About everything. About his grades, about his lifestyle. About Cas. Dean fought back as best he could, but Cas could tell that Dean’s spirit was next to broken.

Their plan had always been to graduate high school and get out of town. Dean would follow Cas to college, but instead of attending, get a construction job or a job at a garage. He had plenty of references.

Plans were made by the light of the moon while lying on a scratchy wool blanket at the lake, lying in each other’s arms under a tree at the park on afternoons when Dean had convinced Cas to skip school. They were ready.

They’d both been saving their money. Cas wouldn’t be eighteen until September, but he had plenty of financial aid and scholarships and even had a job set up on campus in the library. He knew Dean had to get away from his toxic father. He’d talked about it with his parents. His parents had agreed with him and were going to allow Dean to move into his brother Michael’s old room.

That’s why he was here; it was Dean’s eighteenth birthday. He was going to give him a key to his house and help Dean pack his stuff.

Suddenly, Dean pulled out of his arms. “I can’t take it anymore. I can’t. I gotta get out of here.” He started rushing around the room, violently opening the closet door and pulling out a duffle bag, which he then started filling with anything and everything at hand. When that was full, he grabbed a trash bag and filled it, too.

“Dean, babe, slow down.” Cas tried to grab Dean’s wrist, but he pulled away.

“I can’t. I can’t. I gotta do this. I know we had plans, but I gotta get out, I gotta get out now.”

Cas’ heart sank at Dean’s use of the past tense. “That’s why I’m here. I--”

Dean wouldn’t let him speak. He dropped everything and brought his hands to Cas’ face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I love you. I love you, but I just can’t live in this town anymore. It’s sucking the life out of me.”

For a second, Cas forgot about the birthday present he was planning to give to Dean. His eyes welled up, all of the emotion he was feeling was choking him. “But where are you gonna go?”

Dean kissed him on the forehead. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got some connections. I just…I have to go. God, please understand, please.”

  
“I do,” Cas whispered. “But...but what about me? What about us?”

“You’re off to college in a couple of months. You can survive without me for that long.”

Cas’ stomach dropped to his feet. _No, this isn’t the way it’s supposed to go._ “Dean, please, don’t leave. I’ve got something to tell you.”

Dean pulled away. “I gotta go.” He picked up his duffle and trash bag and headed for the door. “I’ll call you later, ok? I love you.”

Ten minutes later, Cas was standing in the same spot. He was stunned and heartbroken. He loved Dean, but he also knew Dean. Dean wasn’t coming back for him. Dean wasn’t going to call, wasn’t going to write. Dean was going to escape.

Cas knew it was for the best. He wanted Dean to be happy, and if that meant he left the state, left him, then that’s what was best.

Didn’t mean _Cas_ was going to be happy, but he’d have to try.


	4. Cas' 25th Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Cas' 25th birthday, and he's been dragged out to a bar against his will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday!  
> Or will be tomorrow! Or is somewhere!  
> (July 22)  
> Thanks for reading, for the Kudos.  
> Also, thanks to all the fic writers out there who aren't letting "The Man" keep them down.

“Another Jameson here, please!”

“No, Charlie, stop with the drinks. I am perfectly happy with the ones you’ve already bought me. I’m set.”

“Fine, Mr. Grumpy Pants. I’ll be over there at the Table O’Fun if you want to join us.” She flounced off with her own drink, leaving Cas to his thoughts.

He doesn’t want to be here, doesn’t want to be at this bar, but his best friend insisted on “making a night of it,” considering they’d had to work all day. Cas had protested that they were going to have to work the next day as well, and didn’t want to be hung over for it, but she refused to hear anything about it.

“We are going out to celebrate the fact that you are alive to be in my life,” she’d replied stubbornly. “Think about it like that. You’re doing it for _me_.”

Well, when she put it like that, he couldn’t refuse. Especially since it meant she would get off his back until his next birthday, when he’d come up with some reason not to celebrate.

He hadn’t gone out for his birthday since the disaster that was his 21st, when he’d gone out to a gay club at the urging of his college roommate, Balthazar. _“Dude, you only turn 21 once! You gotta go out and get wasted!”_

So he had. He’d gotten so wasted that he lost his group and ended up with another group, a group full of strangers, and had gone home with one, the one who Cas thought, in his ridiculously inebriated state, looked just like Dean. Same brown hair, same green eyes.

In actuality, the nameless guy had been nothing like Dean. When Cas had woken up in the guy’s apartment, his clothes strewn everywhere, he could see clearly that the guy was nothing like his Dean. It was only wishful thinking.

Dean was supposed to buy him his first legal drink. He’d promised, back when they were both 16. Well, but Dean had made a lot of promises. That was just one of many he hadn’t kept.

Cas took a deep drink of the Jameson that had been left in front of him and tried to clear his head.

“Is this seat taken?”

He hears the voice from his right. He doesn’t even bother looking up, just shakes his head and continues drinking until the glass is empty, and then he gestures to the bartender for another one.

When the bartender brings the next one, the man next to him orders one for himself. “And put his on my tab, too, thanks.”

Cas lifts his head and quickly turns to the man. “No, thanks, you don’t have to do that. I’ve--” The words die in his throat when he sees the too-familiar eyes and crooked grin of the man next to him. His hands start shaking so hard he has to put down his glass.

“I figure I ought to keep at least one promise I made to you. I’m sorry I’m late. And I know I can’t go back and change things. But maybe we can start over?”

The man held out his hand for Cas to take and shake. “My name’s Dean. I’d like to buy you a drink for your birthday, if you’ll let me.”  
Cas quietly looked at the man’s hand, the past coming back to him all at once, the good, the bad. Before he could let it overwhelm him, he reached out and shook the hand offered to him. “I’m Cas. Maybe we can start there.”


End file.
